Sneak Peek Garden 2017 Issue Sneak Peek The Garden 2017 issue of Craft Ideas magazine has more than 50 projects to inspire creativity! Featuring garden and patio ideas, as well as twig crafts, gifts for mom, dad and grads, cards and more. Check...

DIY Origami Heart Watch our video to learn a super easy way to create an origami heart! Use them to embellish your Valentine's Day card or string several together to make heart garland for a festive look. Happy crafting!

Tools

1. Note: Brush tiny dabs of glue under felt pieces to attach temporarily until embroidered. Use one strand perle cotton or three strands of floss for all embroidery. Press wool felt as needed with hot iron.

2. For tree skirt, cut green felt in half widthwise to make two 54"-long pieces. Place felt pieces side by side along 54" edges. Place several pieces of tape across felt edges to secure while cutting tree skirt shape. Make center of taped edges. Measure and mark 25" from center and mark all the way around felt, drawing 50" circle, using pencil or marker. Cut along drawn line with decorative-edge scissors. For tree trunk opening, measure and mark 8" from center mark in same way as outside circle and cut along drawn line. Remove tape.

3. Print and cut out patterns. Cut eight reindeer from brown felt, eight antlers from white felt, and eight saddle shapes from gold felt (cut rounded edges with decorative-edge scissors). Fold each of the green half circle shapes in half, then in half again to divide into quarters. Place reindeer, antler and saddle appliqué pieces symmetrically on each of the quarter sections with bottom of legs approximately 1-1/2" from outside edge of skirt.

4. Use perle cotton to blanket stitch around edges of reindeer. (Note: Stitches go across top of saddle and over legs entirely.) Use red floss to feather stitch over antlers, and green floss to chain stitch close to rounded edges of saddles. Use black perle cotton to make French knots at eye dots, wrapping thread around needle three times for each knot.

5. Transfer swirl design symmetrically between reindeer on skirt halves. Use red floss to stem stitch swirls, and white floss to stem stitch along one side of red swirls.

7. Use decorative-edge scissors to cut twelve 12" red ribbon lengths. Fold one end of each ribbon length over 1/2". Pin folded ends of ribbon lengths to straight sides of skirt 2" from top and bottom edges and placing one in the center. Use red floss to sew folded ribbon ends to skirt halves.